Bowling game apparatus



April 8, 1959 H. B. PlEER 2,884,251

BOWLING GAMEAPPARATUS Filed July 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2 4

Howard E P/eper INVENTOR.

By 5800* 3m April 28, 1959 H. B. PIEPERI 2,884,251

BOWLING GAME APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2 36

I 2 l8 l2 I8 29 \22 Howard B. Pieper INVENTOR.

\32 4 32 BY a r W Amrnqs United States Patent C BOWLING GAME APPARATUS Howard B. Pieper, Waterloo, Iowa Application July 16, 1957, Serial No. 672,177

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-40 The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for use in playing a particular game and more particularly relates to a device for playing a game quite similar to bowling which is highly entertaining, amusing and requires the use of certain skills and dexterity in successfully completing the game.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bowling game apparatus in which certain of the same skills are required that are necessary in actually bowling such as properly guiding the ball in its path of movement and properly releasing the ball so that the ball will move through the bowling pins in the optimum manner for bowling over all of the pins.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a bowling game apparatus which is simple in construction, easy to use, amusing, well adapted for its intended purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the bowling game apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 22 of Figure 1 illustrating the details of construction of the stand for the pins and the support member for the ball;

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating further structural details of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a partial plan view of the flat surface showing the orientation of the pin spots with the number 7 pin and the number 7 spot being coincidental and also with the base lines of the triangular arrangements being shown in transverse alignment.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the bowling game apparatus of the present invention which includes a generally flat elongated member 12 which will simulate a bowling alley in that it has a flat upper surface 14. Along each side of the surface 14 is a depressed channel or gutter 16 defined by a depending member 18, an outwardly extending member 20 and an upwardly extending member 22 in parallel relation to the depending member 18. The depending member 18 as well as the horizontal member 20 and upstanding member 22 extend peripherally completely around the elongated flat member 12. The upstanding member 22 which extends across the end walls of the member 12 is provided with flat surfaces 24 forming a hand rest for persons playing the game. These horizontal members 24 extend inwardly along each side of the member 12 on the upstanding members 22 as designated by numeral 26 at one end of the member 12 2,884,251 Patented Apr. 28, 1959 and these members 26 have an inclined outer edge 28 and terminate at the beginning of an inwardly and downwardly cut-away inclined portion 30 in the upstanding side wall member 22 which extends substantially to the center of the member 12. For supporting the member 12 along with the side members 22 there is provided a plurality of depending corner legs 32 of any suitable construction and which is secured to the side members 22 in any suitable manner for providing an accurate and positive support for the member 12. For supporting the member 12 in a horizontal plane, levelling feet of an adjustable nature may be provided on the lower end of each leg 32 for levelling the flat surface 14.

Secured to and extending upwardly from the side members 22 is a pair of uprights 34 having one surface thereof at the center of the member 12. Extending between and interconnecting the uprights 34 is a support rod 36 secured thereto by U-shaped brackets 38. Mounted on the rod 36 is a centrally disposed ring 40 which may be laterally adjustable having an eye member 42 depending therefrom which is connected with a flexible member 44 having a ball 46 on the free end thereof. The flexible member 44 is of such a length that the ball 46 will just clear the fiat surface 14 when it is hanging in a natural position.

An upstanding wire member 48 is provided on the member 26 adjacent one end of the member 12 and the wire member 48 has a hook 50 on the end thereof for engagement with the flexible chain 44 whereby the ball 46 may be retained in a condition for ready grasping by the person playing the game who will normally stand at the end of the device adjacent the wire rod 48.

Disposed centrally on the flat upper surface 14 of the member 12 is two arrangements of pin spots with one arrangement being designated by the numeral 52 and the other arrangement being designated by the numeral 54. The spots are arranged in triangular arrangement substantially in the same nature as bowling pins with the base line of the triangular arrangements being transversely coincidental and the apices of the triangular arrangements disposed remotely. The number 7 spot of the spots 52 and 54 are coincidental as clearly shown in Figure 4. The spots 54 are provided with bowling pins 56 thereon with the bowling pins closely simulating actual bowling pins but being of a smaller scale. The arrangement of the bowling pins is clearly shown in Figure 1 in which the number 7 pin is disposed in its normal position which is also the number 7 spot of the set of spots 52. After the pins 56 have been spotted on the spots 54, the game is ready then for playing. A person standing at the end of the stand adjacent the wire rod 48 will grasp the ball 50 and hold it in a position similar to the dotted line position shown at this end of the stand. The ball 46 is aligned with the triangular set of spots 52 in such a manner that the ball 46 will pass over the spots 52 in a relationship which is optimum for producing strikes in a normal bowling game. If the ball 46 passes over this path or area which is optimum, the ball will continue to move in the nature of a pendulum to its limit of swinging movement at which time it will return towards its initial position or towards the point of projection of the ball. During this return movement the ball will pass through the pins 56 and will engage the pins and knock the same over. If the ball has been initially guided correctly and the proper speed and release characteristics were employed, the bowling ball will pass back through the pins 56 in exactly the same manner as it passed through the pin spots 52. Thus with practice, the return path of the ball through the pins 56 may be controlled and determined by properly releasing and guiding the ball 46 over the guide pin spots 52. The player attempting to pass the ball as close as he can to the number 1 spot of the spots 52 will normally have the ball returned back through the pin slightly to the left of or directly over the number 1 of the set of spots 54. In the event all of the pins are not knocked down by one ball, the pins that were knocked down will be removed from the alley to the side gutter and the player will comlete his first frame by attempting a spare. It is possible to get a spare by casting the ball in the desired manner so that the ball will swing and contact the remaining pins during the return movement. At times, it may be necessary to cast the ball in such a path that it would pass over the side edge of the stand and this is the purpose of the cut-away portions 30 to permit the ball to swing in an arc so that any one of the pins may be engaged during the return movement of the ball.

The ring 40 and flexible member 46 is located slightly off center in relation to the No. 7 spot toward the set of spots designated by 52 at a point about one-half way between the center of No. 7 spot and the outer edge thereof. This arrangement is necessary in a situation when all of the pins except No. 7 are knocked over with only No. 7 pin standing. In this situation, the player on the second cast of the ball in the frame will cast ball as close to No. 7 pin as possible without striking it in the forward movement of the ball. Due to the oflset of the ball, the ball will strike No. 7 pin on its return movement. If the oltset arrangement is not employed the No. 7 pin could not be engaged due to the natural pendulum movement of the ball since the ball would then miss No. 7 pin in both forward and return movement.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A game apparatus comprising a stand having a flat top surface, a supporting member extending transversely above said surface in spaced relation thereto, a flexible member connected to said member, a ball mounted on said flexible member for arcuate swinging movement in relation to the surface, a set of bowling pins disposed adjacent one side of said surface in a triangular arrangement, and a set of pin spots arranged alongside the set of pins adjacent the other side edge and being disposed in a triangular arrangement with the base lines of the triangular arrangements being transversely aligned with the apices disposed remotely, said spots acting as a guide for projecting the ball for determining the return path of movement of the ball through the set of pins.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the number 7 pin of the set of pins and the number 7 spot of the guide spots are coincidental.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said flat top surface is peripherally encircled by a gutter and a vertical side wall, a portion of the side walls adjacent the set of pins being cut away for permitting free movement of the bowling ball, an upstanding wire member having a hook thereon disposed adjacent the area from which the ball is cast whereby the hook may engage the flexible member for holding the ball in position for ready access by the players.

4. A bowling game apparatus comprising a flat playing surface a support member extending transversely above the playing surface, an elongated flexible member connected to the support member and suspended therefrom, a ball mounted on the free end of the flexible member for arcuate swinging movement about a point defined by the point of connection of the flexible member with the support member, a pair of sets of pin spots on the playing surface, each set of pin spots defining a triangular arrangement disposed laterally on the playing surface with the base lines of the triangular arrangements being aligned and disposed transversely the number 7 spot of the sets of spots being coincidental with each other and underlying the support member, and a set of pins positioned on one set of pin spots, the relation of the vacant pin spots, the occupied pin spots and path of movement of the ball being related for movement of the ball over the vacant pin spots in one direction of swinging movement of the ball and through the pins on the return swing when the ball is cast from a point in longitudinal spaced relation to the apex of the vacant pin spots with the relation of the path of movement to the pin spots being the same in both directions of movement of the ball thereby providing a guide for accurately determining the path of movement of the ball through the pins during the return swinging movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 284,306 Jotten Sept. 4, 1883 661,730 Beinks NOV. 13, 1900 848,371 Huben Mar. 26, 1907 FOREIGN PATENTS 311,301 Germany Mar. 12, 1919 922,362 France June 6, 1947 

